Carnival Cruise Line revealed how one of their guests died aboard the Carnival Dream last week.
On Monday, the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office shared that Euvelester Villarreal Jr., 48, of Rio Grande City, Texas, passed away while the cruise ship was at sea, adding that they have found no signs of obvious trauma. However, they're still waiting on the toxicology results, according to KHOU 11.
Although social media rumors quickly spread suggesting foul play, the cruise line stated that Villarreal Jr. died of "natural causes."
Read more: FBI investigating death on Carnival cruise ship that set sail from Texas
"Carnival’s internal investigation indicated the guest died of natural causes. Furthermore, the medical examiner’s office in Galveston found no signs of trauma," reads Carnival Cruise Line's official statement.
"We’ll defer to the FBI on its investigation, but it is important to note that it is standard practice for the FBI to review deaths that occur on cruise ships. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to our guest’s family and loved ones in this difficult time."
Villarreal Jr. passed away around July 23, 2025, when the cruise ship was at sea. Guests reported hearing an alert over the public address system early in the morning requesting medical assistance at the adults-only Serenity Deck.
"We all heard at 4 o’clock in the morning, ‘Medical assistance needed at the Serenity Deck.' It woke everybody up because they turned on all the speakers on the boat and blasted it. It woke everybody up, and nobody knew what was going on. But after that, word got around pretty quick about what had happened,” passenger Carl Burmeister told KHOU off-camera.
KHOU also spoke with Villarreal Jr.’s wife, who was traveling with him while aboard the Carnival Dream. Although she was not prepared to share more details about what had happened, she described her husband as kind, humble, generous, and a loving man who took care of his family.
The 130,000 gross-ton vessel was on a 6-night Western Caribbean cruise from Galveston, Texas, to Costa Maya, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico.
The FBI's involvement sparked increased speculation online
One person on Facebook claimed that the passenger had been murdered over a large casino win totaling around $5,000. Another said they heard two people died, and that seven passengers were in the ship's jail during the cruise:
"I was on that cruise. Our 18 yr olds say they watched them remove a body at [the Galveston] port when we returned. They [saw] them from a 1st floor Ocean view cabin. There were two guests [who] took their luggage off in Cozumel. Rumor was 2 died and 7 people were in the jail during the cruise."
Despite the dramatic rumors, Carnival reiterated that it's simply standard practice for the FBI to investigate deaths at sea; their presence does not automatically mean foul play was involved.
"It is standard practice for the FBI to review deaths that occur on cruise ships. This routine protocol ensures transparency. It does not automatically imply suspicious circumstances, and the facts of this matter do not suggest any such activity. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to our guest's family and loved ones in this difficult time," reads a statement issued by the cruise line to KHOU.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
